I'm not sure I can even get five. How many customers, offered only the top three varieties, would refuse to buy an apple out of loyalty to their favorite? We had an article describing how that is Trader Joe's general policy: only stock a few kinds of each thing to cut overhead.

Aarontology:If my only options are red delicious or granny smith, more than likely I won't be buying apples.

I grew up eating only those, because that's what was available. So I never really liked apples that much. I thought they were OK, but nothing I just went crazy over. Then a few weeks ago, I tried some Honeycrisp and couldn't believe how good they were. Now I have to have apples every time I go to the grocery, and I usually try any new kind I see. I hate that I missed out all those years!

ZAZ:I'm not sure I can even get five. How many customers, offered only the top three varieties, would refuse to buy an apple out of loyalty to their favorite? We had an article describing how that is Trader Joe's general policy: only stock a few kinds of each thing to cut overhead.

Many of these varietals won't ever likely be destined for widespread distribution through supermarket chains, but that isn't the point. Just cultivating them again and selling them through farmer's markets is enough to make sure that they don't ever completely disappear. There's enough demand from the foodie crowd to rescue a lot of heirloom crops and livestock, and anything that results in increased agricultural biodiversity in the face of an increasingly corporate agricultural industry is a good thing.

skinnycatullus:Aarontology: If my only options are red delicious or granny smith, more than likely I won't be buying apples.

I grew up eating only those, because that's what was available. So I never really liked apples that much. I thought they were OK, but nothing I just went crazy over. Then a few weeks ago, I tried some Honeycrisp and couldn't believe how good they were. Now I have to have apples every time I go to the grocery, and I usually try any new kind I see. I hate that I missed out all those years!

Same here, growing up. I love the variety now days, but you have look local. I have a good retired friend who loves a good apple and grows beautiful but not commercial apples on his farm west of the gap in Penn

/gets apples from Delicious Orchards. Bonus: Laird's Apple Jack is just down the road

skinnycatullus:Aarontology: If my only options are red delicious or granny smith, more than likely I won't be buying apples.

I grew up eating only those, because that's what was available. So I never really liked apples that much. I thought they were OK, but nothing I just went crazy over. Then a few weeks ago, I tried some Honeycrisp and couldn't believe how good they were. Now I have to have apples every time I go to the grocery, and I usually try any new kind I see. I hate that I missed out all those years!

// apples are at near the bottom of my fruit ranking. Yeah, I eat apples, but I'm never like, damn, I need to get me some more apples because that was delicious. Yes, even honeycrisp is just an apple to me.

// I grew up with guava, soursop, passionfruit, mango and papaya trees in my grandmother's yard, and a variety of other delicious fruits that I can't get here in the US, so I might be biased a bit.

lordargent:/ I grew up with guava, soursop, passionfruit, mango and papaya trees in my grandmother's yard, and a variety of other delicious fruits that I can't get here in the US, so I might be biased a bit.

You can find all of those in the U.S.. Well, the soursop might be a little tough.

I am dumbfounded as to why the red "delicious" apple dominates the market so well. Red delicious apples, frankly, SUCK. They are mealy, mushy, and have no acidity or flavor other than sweet. Simply awful apples, I've never had a firm tasty red delicious. They're bad for eating, and bad for baking. Fujis, Pink ladies, and honeycrisps, on the other hand... why don't these apples dominate the market? I just don't get it.

Huh. Maybe it's because I've lived in Michigan all my life, but I've never had the problem the article is talking about, unless I try to get all my produce at Wal-Mart or some other national chain. With most of the local grocery chains, it seems like there's a new type of Johna Honey Ida Gold Delicious in the apple bins every month, and the local orchards advertise about 20 different varieties that you can go pick yourself. Yes, we have a steady supply of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith in the produce aisle, but they still rotate in a bajillion other varieties depending on the season.

Tunacrab:I am dumbfounded as to why the red "delicious" apple dominates the market so well. Red delicious apples, frankly, SUCK. They are mealy, mushy, and have no acidity or flavor other than sweet. Simply awful apples, I've never had a firm tasty red delicious. They're bad for eating, and bad for baking. Fujis, Pink ladies, and honeycrisps, on the other hand... why don't these apples dominate the market? I just don't get it.

inclemency:Tunacrab: I am dumbfounded as to why the red "delicious" apple dominates the market so well. Red delicious apples, frankly, SUCK. They are mealy, mushy, and have no acidity or flavor other than sweet. Simply awful apples, I've never had a firm tasty red delicious. They're bad for eating, and bad for baking. Fujis, Pink ladies, and honeycrisps, on the other hand... why don't these apples dominate the market? I just don't get it.

Fast Moon:Huh. Maybe it's because I've lived in Michigan all my life, but I've never had the problem the article is talking about, unless I try to get all my produce at Wal-Mart or some other national chain. With most of the local grocery chains, it seems like there's a new type of Johna Honey Ida Gold Delicious in the apple bins every month, and the local orchards advertise about 20 different varieties that you can go pick yourself. Yes, we have a steady supply of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith in the produce aisle, but they still rotate in a bajillion other varieties depending on the season.

That's the issue. Farmer's Markets, Whole Foods, small local chains, etc, may very well stock locally grown and lesser known varieties, but they don't have the purchasing power of Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and the other big national grocery conglomerates. Those stores want to simplify the supply chain and drive down costs, so they encourage growers to grow specific types that they know sell well throughout their range.

Fighting against that and keeping lesser known varieties alive, as well as making them available to more people, is a noble cause.

Fast Moon:Huh. Maybe it's because I've lived in Michigan all my life, but I've never had the problem the article is talking about, unless I try to get all my produce at Wal-Mart or some other national chain. With most of the local grocery chains, it seems like there's a new type of Johna Honey Ida Gold Delicious in the apple bins every month, and the local orchards advertise about 20 different varieties that you can go pick yourself. Yes, we have a steady supply of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith in the produce aisle, but they still rotate in a bajillion other varieties depending on the season.

I just tickled my three blueberry bushes.. they gave me pie for tomorrow ... mmmm pie

TuteTibiImperes:Fast Moon: Huh. Maybe it's because I've lived in Michigan all my life, but I've never had the problem the article is talking about, unless I try to get all my produce at Wal-Mart or some other national chain. With most of the local grocery chains, it seems like there's a new type of Johna Honey Ida Gold Delicious in the apple bins every month, and the local orchards advertise about 20 different varieties that you can go pick yourself. Yes, we have a steady supply of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith in the produce aisle, but they still rotate in a bajillion other varieties depending on the season.

That's the issue. Farmer's Markets, Whole Foods, small local chains, etc, may very well stock locally grown and lesser known varieties, but they don't have the purchasing power of Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, and the other big national grocery conglomerates. Those stores want to simplify the supply chain and drive down costs, so they encourage growers to grow specific types that they know sell well throughout their range.

Fighting against that and keeping lesser known varieties alive, as well as making them available to more people, is a noble cause.

I don't know about Kroger. They've been rebuilding stores in this area, and expanding their produce sections. Artisan cheeses and apples have been the big thing, here, along with wine and organic foods. In the article's list, I'd seen and bought everything down to the Braeburn, and might have seen a Jonagold but passed because of the description (yes, they describe the mealy-ness, sweat/sour, thin/thick skin, etc). Same for pears, there are usually 3 to 5 varieties that change over the seasons.

But, while they've increased the apple variety, they shrank oranges down to 'naval' and 'cara cara navel', and the occasional blood orange. Having been to Florida every year or so since I was little, I miss the wide range of juicing oranges, and everything that isn't a navel orange. I miss the Hamlins and Homosassas most. And grapes still come in just red/white seeds/seedless variety, and it's left up to the buyer to guess where they grew.

So big buying power doesn't have to mean fewer choices, if the stores are doing things right.

I haven't had a GOOD apple since I moved from Pennsylvania, but the closest I've found has been something called a "Pacific Rose." Not bad. Never knew how spoiled we were for great apples until I moved away.

Red Delicious used to be good, but they started breeding them for looks over taste back a few decades ago, with the result... well, you already know that.

I confess to being spoiled when it comes to apples. Maine has always had a lot of orchards, and there were at least three within ten minutes drive of my house when I was growing up. The number has increased since then. And several of them have heirloom varieties, which makes me happy. There's even one that is almost exclusive to Maine- the Black Oxford. This is one that actually tastes better after it's been stored for a while; the variety was developed in the 19th century and was always meant for wintering over.